


Tales of a Child

by helissa



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons), Trollhunters - Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro
Genre: Drama, Family Bonding, Family Issues, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Merlin adopts Douxie when he's a child, Morgana kinda big sister, vaguely angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:08:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26266267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helissa/pseuds/helissa
Summary: Alternative Universe!In a Camelot where, following Queen Guinevere's sudden death, the hunt against the magical creatures has just begun, Douxie's been found and taken by Merlin when he's only a child.
Relationships: Archie & Hisirdoux "Douxie" Casperan, Archie & Merlin (Tales of Arcadia), Hisirdoux "Douxie" Casperan & Merlin (Tales of Arcadia), Hisirdoux "Douxie" Casperan & Morgana | Pale Lady, Merlin & Arthur (Tales of Arcadia), Merlin & Morgana (Tales of Arcadia)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 101





	1. First Meeting- the boy in the wood

**First Meeting- The boy in the wood**

The village was already completely destroyed when Merlin arrived. The fire was everywhere, crumbling the few walls that haven’t collapsed yet, and a strong black smoke drew in the air spirals that one could have seen also from Camelot itself. The corpses were not so many, it was more a matter of statues to avoid in his walk.  
As if it wasn’t already complicated proceeding in that way, the Round Table’s knights hustled from side to side, like mad ants, with water’s buckets and unsheathed swords in hands. Most of them were rushing to the near wood, from which some strong screaming were coming from. Merlin took his time, looking on his own if there were something interesting in what has been the village, but when some knights started to move closer to him, asking without a word for his help, he sighed and followed them in the wood.

It was quite a peaceful piece of the forest, he gave it that. Contrary to the rest of it, the trees were less massive, leaving abundant sunbeams leading their ways between the leaves- or at least, that should happen when the sky wasn’t covered by smoke. The clearing in which the knights were getting massacred was a big one, a circular space surrounded by bigger trees and with soft grass on the ground. There was a sort of strange atmosphere in the air, a sort of vibrating connection that gave Merlin some inconvenient goose pimples.

  
But he almost smirked for the surprise when he saw what was taking so long the knights to finish their job. A black dragon-cat was spitting fire against the so-called valiant knights of Camelot, spinning around them in narrow flights to avoid the trees’ branches.  
Merlin sighed: so that was the almighty force of king Arthur, eh? Defeated by a dragon so small? He started to form a simple water-spell but stopped with a blue lighting hit the knight near to him.

  
Magic? Blue based magic?

  
He narrowed his eyes: between him and that sorry excuse of a battle, what seemed to be a child covered in rags was trembling with his back on a tree. Trembling and throwing magic spells all around, apparently.  
Merlin had to move sideways to avoid a spell. The knight near to him wasn’t so quick and finished moaning on the ground. Well, if that wasn’t quite interesting. Merlin spent another moment to watch the knights being fought off, moving more and more close to that dragon and the child as he analysed the type of magic they were dealing with.

  
«A little help maybe, old friend?» Sir Galahad asked him. He was the only one left with on his horse and seemed incredibly tired, probably also by the other screaming and running on-the-child knights.

  
Merlin pulled himself up from the blue fire he was watching burning a tree. «If I weren’t with you every time, Camelot would have already lost most of its knights, I suppose».

  
Sir Galahad shrugged. «We’re new at this job. And nobody has taught us yet how to fight such creatures».  
And a part of Merlin prayed that would never happen.

  
In that moment, the child screamed so hard Merlin’s ears trembled. The boy rushed over his tree, gesturing to the dragon-cat. «RUN! ‘UN AWAY!» he shouted, with a voice broken by his crying. He only made the dragon-cat fight more ferociously, opening wide his wings before the child.

  
A sort of familiar, then?

  
Sir Galahad and Sir Lancelot rushed away, against the child, swords ready to be used. «FOR THE GLORY OF CAMELOT!»

  
«Enough».  
Merlin’s magic bursted in a green light that stopped all the clearing.

  
All the knights found themselves trapped in their position, half of them floating in the air. A magic net was put over the child and his familiar. The latter his in a pretty threatening way, scratching away every knights' gliding by Merlin’s magic near to him or the boy.  
As Merlin stepped towards the knights to reach the boy, Sir Lancelot flew near him. «Now we should have all under control, Lord Merlin» he said.

  
«Under control my arse» Merlin commented. «You and your knights are dismissed. I'll take care of it».

  
A doubt flash crossed Sir Lancelot's eyes, just before the spell on them was casted away, making him fall on the grass. The clearing full of moans, Sir Lancelot raised up the necessary to bend a little, leaded by the court's convenience. «Pardon me, my Lord, but these particular matters should be managed by us knights. You know that King Arthur's rules have set that...»

  
«I'm the one that has helped Arthur to write the decree and all its rules. So, please, spare me their declarations. I'm also the one and only with magic powers and, apparently, with a brain here. I'm dealing with the situation». He passed over Lancelot. The other knights were starting to raise up and preparing to leave, under Sir Galahad’s orders.

  
Soon they all left but Merlin barely saw them.  
His attention was completely focused on the child. He was still under the magic net, hugging his familiar in what seemed to be a perfect, innocent way. But the child was no really innocent. He and his familiar were actively trying to break the rope with a sort of stone they should have found on the ground. Clever boy. Lost not time with throwing spells against an anti magic net.  
They stopped the moment Merlin was in front of them. The boy hugged with more intensity the dragon-cat, whose hiss almost hid the stone's thud on the ground.Merlin knelt down to watch them better.

  
The child trembled a little and the desperate hug he gave that time seemed to be authentic. He should have been four or five years old- Merlin had always had problems with math- but was dangerously skinny for his age. He was taller, though, with a long face and black circled eyes. Merlin found difficult crossing them, giving the annoying way the child continued to avoid his, but he was pretty sure they were light-brown, almost golden. That peculiarity and the blue shapes in the dark hair were the more evident signs of interesting magic powers. If the child wasn't ill and shocked as the crack lips, the soften eyes and the way he trembled suggested, it'd have been funny to see if he could even be able to get rid of all the knights by himself.  
At least it'd have been something to finally shot down Sir Lancelot's annoying smile.

  
The boy's familiar his again and tried to scratch away Merlin with even more ferocity than before. Merlin gave him a quick look. The presence of a familiar was quite a confirmation of the boy's powers. And it was also quite peculiar: a sort of dragon, an ancient one, probably, disguised in the form of a slim black cat.

  
«Quite a strange place to rest in, child» Merlin said, looking around the wood as he had realized only in that moment where they were. «The forests are dangerous. You're old, and I presume smart, enough to know it».

  
The child kept his gaze on the ground, caressing his familiar.

  
«Do you have a name, along with this hospitable and chatty attitude?»

  
He snivelled and the familiar spoke for him while he was busy by cleaning his nose with a sleeve. «He's Hisirdoux Casperan» it answered, with quite a saccent voice. «And he's my familiar».

  
Merlin snorted. «Your familiar?»

  
«Yes» fizzled the cat, arching its back. «I assist him in staying alive».

  
«Quite a successful work, judging by his appearance».

  
«I tell you, human. Just free us from here and I'll assist my familiar in more interesting matters, as slaying your...»

  
«Archie!»  
The boy had finally spoke, with an acute and high voice. He moved the cat to watch it in its eyes and murmured something rather loud to it. «I really dont wanna die and this one gonna kill us if you continue».

  
The cat grumbled but said nothing more and this seems to be quite the consolation for the child. He adjusted the grip on it and then turned to Merlin, even so he continued stubbornly to watch the ground all around him. «'m sworry for him» he said, caressing the cat. «Archie calls me Douxie».

  
«Well, but it seems you have a proper and functional name to use, Hisirdoux. I'm happy to see the cat doesn't got your tongue, thought». Merlin raised up. «Now, listen carefully, you two. I'm effectively going to free you both from this net. But I have an advice for you: it's not safe to wander around the forests, the villages and whatever are the places you normally and unconcernedly fall asleep on. I can offer you a place to live, if you want».

  
The child finally found the nerve to watch Merlin's face- and it was with tightening eyes. «You not like the ugly and stinky man of the last village, right? I really don't wanna die».

  
«Nor to be hurt» the cat added and the child nodded.

  
Something sad and vaguely guilty clutched Merlin's stomach. He shook his head. «I'll take you as my apprentice. You may stay as long as you wish and if you don't like it, I'll help you find another home».

  
The child's eyes were full of a suspicion Merlin believed was no fair to find in such a young age. «Apprentice like... Like Sam that helps the woodsman at Tintagel village?»

  
«Well, yes, I suppose» pondered Merlin. «Only that you'd help me with magic. Learning to control your and to become a magician yourself».

  
Hisirdoux exchanged a look with his cat. «But people hate magicians?»

  
«I'll free you» decided Merlin. He simply could take no more. «Then you'll decide».

  
He knelt again and disabled the net's mechanism. It opened up with a dull sound, quickly enough to let the child and the cat jumping out in a second.  
The cat flew away, reaching for the sky and slaloming between the trees as it has wished nothing more in its entire life. Hisirdoux followed it, running away at the fastest speed his tall and too much skinny legs could provide.  
Merlin bit his lip, uncertain about what to do. He had hoped a different reaction… and king Arthur’s laws he surely helped to write were clear about what now he was supposed to do.

  
In that moment, the child turned his face towards him.

  
Something in what Hisirdoux saw made him quit running. He stopped near a tree, swinging as he was about to fall. Then he started to walk.

  
To Merlin.

  
The cat realized it only when Hisirdoux had already reached Merlin.

  
It traced a wide parabola with its wings, rushing over them. «Douxie! What are you doing?! Let's go!»

  
«'m actually kinda tired» Hisirdoux yawned as explanation.

  
He climbed the arms Merlin was offering him with confidence but showing little uncertainties about where put what. Evidently, climbing over some adult's arms was something a wood and a familiar didn't offer so much. At the end, while the cat was still furiously trying to make him change his mind, Hisirdoux was able to find a neat position on Merlin's chest. He simply laid his head on his left shoulder, leaving his arms and legs dangling on him.

  
«Are you nut, Doux?» asked the cat. «You're selling away your freedom! We should stay on the streets, we know how to live there!»

  
«But 'm tired» murmured Hisirdoux, his eyes already closed. «I wanna a bed. Have a bed, sir?»

  
«Many, very comfortable» Merlin assured, starting to put away the net how he could.

  
«See? He got beds. And food... Have food, sir?»

  
«Plenty of».

  
«And magic, Archie. With magic, he can protect us». His little voice was weakening and weakening as the sleep took over.

  
The cat muttered a little more. «I hope you're right, Douxie» it concluded, just before throwing itself on the boy, making Merlin gasp for its sudden move.

  
«It's gonna be al-wight». Hisirdoux opened a little his golden eyes, crossing for the first time Merlin's sky-blues. The child seemed so tired and helpless, as he's just finished a long-life rush. Merlin stopped to try to reclose the anti-magic net. «Please», Hisirdoux asked, «dont kill us nor hurt us». He curled up a little better, rubbing his nose on one of Merlin's finest tunic. «I really don't want to die. Like...» he yawned, «like really».

  
«No one will kill or hurt you». Thanks to the gods, Merlin was finally able to close that damn net. He started to walk away from the clearing, the sadly not so much weight of the boy and the cat sadly were almost little feathers laying on him. «I promise» Merlin said and he gave a simple caress on the dirty and messy hair of Hisirdoux.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> helissa here.  
> This is quite a strange project to start for me, as it's not planned as my other works used to be. I've drawn some child!douxie and Merlin's moments, post one of them on tumblr and then started to elaborate the idea of some stories about it. I'm not so sure about how and if the story'll continue, but I'll be happy to discover it alongside you.  
> If you're interested in reading the story's headcanons or in seeing the drawings (althought they're in my opinion pretty bad), you can see the "childouxie au" tag in tumblr.
> 
> Regarding more informations about this story, I hope Merlin's IC (I'm always having troubles with him, I can feel it). I've also very inspired by [Sand_wolf579](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sand_wolf579/pseuds/Sand_wolf579)'s amazing work, [The Wizard's Apprentice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25867354/chapters/62852011): check it out, it really pays it!


	2. The boy in the wizard's tower

**The boy in the wizard’s tower**

At first, when Douxie opened a little his eyes, not recognizing anything of where he was was enough scaring to make him completely awake in a start.  
It seemed to be a room, with walls everywhere, and not a window to be seen. There were also some wood furnitures, that surrounded him as they were trying to capture him. Douxie gasped in horror and tried to get up from that sort of morbid cloth-made grass that was all around him, but it only seemed to trap him more.

«Archie!» he cried desperately.

The cat was sleeping just on his left, over the fake grass. He jumped on, raising his ears. «What? What’s happening, Douxie?»

«I trapped» Douxie explained, disconsolate. «I can't move under this fake grass!»

Archie sniffed it, moving closer to Douxie. His tail caressed the boy’s head and shoulders in a comforting touch. «Are you sure you’re trapped under it?» he finally asked. «Because I’m pretty sure that was the man of yesterday to have put you there».

Douxie snivelled. «What man?»

Archie stopped his stretching to watch him with a little annoyed expression. «The one you trusted yesterday».

Douxie's mind was quickly crossed by a tall, green dressed figure. Oh, right. That man. He had almost forgotten about him: after all, he felt a little strange. Douxie had to have slept a lot, but he wasn't used to it. He felt like he had just finished to run away from a very far village.

«I told you this wasn't going to end fine» Archie whined between his teeth, busy in biting away from Douxie the fake grass. «You should never trust a human. They're a dangerous kind».

Douxie checked if his hands were by any chance paws. «I'm human!»

Archie brushed off the issue like he always did, even shaking his sinuous thin shoulders. «You're a different one».

«So after you free me, we stay with the man?» asked Douxie after a while spent in Archie's attempts that had left many grass' blades in his mouth and all around.

«I would heartily suggest that. We don't trust humans, that's always have been one of ours rules, hasn't it? Furthermore, this one is able of magic».

«And this isn't good?»

«Not at all!»

«But...» Douxie was finally free of moving his hands. He immediately used them to gesticulate his concern. «But, Archie, this one gonna help me! I learn magic!»

«You'll learn it by yourself» muttered Archie.

«No, he won't».

Douxie and Archie froze on their places.

The man was on the room's door. He was even bigger than Douxie remembered, with black and grey hair on his chin and a large green cloak. His blue sky eyes seemed to literally shine in the room's dim light, dense with the green reflects of his strange wood's stone. If that wasn't enough scaring, there was something simply floating just on the man's left. It seemed a sort of plate, the one the proprietors used to hit the tramps when wooden spoons weren't at hand.

Douxie was on the edge of his seat, unable to move due to the fake grass. Archie moved in front of him, hissing at the man.

The man didn't seem intimidated. «Suspicious again, I see. Dragon-cat, don't you think that, if I wanted to hurt the boy, I would already done so?»  
He ignored Archie's rude answer and completely entered the room. The dish followed him in but stopped against his back when the man froze in front of the bed. His eyes were on the fake grass. «Did you find the blanket uncomfortable?»

«Of course he did! Having tried to trap Douxie like that is simply abhorrent! I should have paid more attention to you, human and-...»

«And are you paying attention in this right moment, dragon-cat?» the man asked in a fit. «Maybe your kind and mine don't share some customs, but I'm sure you know some of our human behaviour’s rules. Have I asked you this question? No. I was talking to Hisirdoux. So, please tell me, Hisirdoux: did you find the blanket uncomfortable?»

Douxie swallowed, tense. «I... I trapped».

«No, you aren't» stated the man firmly. «This blanket is pretty heavy, I give you that. But is something you can take off whenever you want». And, saying so, he actually removed the fake grass from Douxie. Archie and his hisses almost fell off, but Douxie was too much astonished to even notice. The fake grass just laid in front of his naked feet, lifeless and flaccid as it was actually never a real danger. Douxie laughed a little, less nervous, and finally managed to stand up. He realized in that moment he was over a sort of nest, a human one! The day before the man had spoken about having lots of beds. But Douxie would have never imagined he could actually use one of them!  
And now, he had been under a "blanket", on a human... bed. All along!  
Archie had told him some stories about where other humans slept and that was one of their nests! Douxie smiled stunned at Archie: the dragon-cat seemed so little by the bed's height!  
The cat jumped next to him, probably to see the room better as Douxie was doing.  
In the meanwhile, the man had sat on one of that so-called blanket's corner. His eyes were scrutinizing all Douxie. «You stay under the blanket» he declared, gesturing him the fake glass. «At least for breakfast. You're so dirty that this bed is going to be washed at least three times before returning to me acceptable. But you're going to catch a cold with those light clothes».

Douxie gave a quick look to his clothes. His old waistcoat was nowhere to be seen, but he still had his tunic and his trousers leg. «I fine» he said. «I more fine with my waistcoat. Where is?»

The man avoided the question with a moan and moved his wood. With a soft thud, the floating dish landed just in front of Douxie. There was more food he couldn't have ever imagined.  
«I understand you're a... pretty small child, I presume, but... Don't you have more intelligent questions to do? For example, where are you and who am I? Yesterday you fell asleep the moment I picked you up. We hadn't time for more talks, if of course we don't consider your snore as a form of dialogue».  
Douxie was yet so amazed by the food he barely paid attention to what the man was saying. Even Archie was distracted: although he was still sticked to Douxie's legs, he sniffed toward the dish with evident desire.  
The man sighed. «Whatever. I'm Merlin, Master Wizard, this is Camelot, blah blah, you may eat what you want».

Douxie blinked. «You... you sure? I can eat all this food?»

«Well, I hope not all in once. This bed is already smelly even without some vomit».

The man was watching Douxie with some kind of bothered expectation but Douxie didn't move. He glanced at the dish and then returned to the man. «I can eat the food. You not gonna hurt me?»

«Have you already forgotten what I promised to you yesterday? Gods give me strength if I have to teach you».  
It wasn't convincing enough, but in that moment Douxie's stomach grumbled strongly. He gave another look to the food, to the man and to Archie's face. His familiar's ears were still upright but Archie's suspicions seemed to decrease when he started to lick his own lips watching the dish.

Douxie returned to the man. «So I take the food and no one hurt me».

That time the way the man glanced at him was strange. Douxie was pretty sure he was going to lose his patience, but instead he seemed tried, almost sad. «No one will. I assure you». He raised up, walking to the door, without using his wood to help himself like the other man Douxie had seen. «Eat and then we'll talk» he said, leaving the room.

After Douxie and Archie had finished, the dish was practically destroyed.  
Douxie had eaten so much his stomach hurt, but he pretended everything was fine when the man returned. That time there was nothing floating with him. But he said that the first thing after they spoke was to bring Douxie to have a bath.  
Douxie didn’t think he smelt that bad. He simply sat on the bed, watching the man. Archie was sitting between them and by the way he moved his tail Douxie was pretty sure he didn’t trust the man yet: so, probably he neither.  
The man- Douxie hadn’t got his name, but he was sure he was something like Mulin or Mawster.  
The man was stranger and stranger the more Douxie knew him. Mulin didn’t scream or hate him. The day before he had even used some sort of magic and… and he seemed also to like Douxie. That, however, was impossible.  
It was for that that Douxie had the feeling Archie was right in not trusting him. They had met before people that had given them some food, even a place to sleep in their stables. But none of them really wanted them.  
Especially Douxie.  
Douxie had magic and no one really liked magic.  
Given the man had it and used it, he probably did, almost like Douxie himself but… but he didn’t feel so much safe as he was yesterday.

Maybe there was something missing.

Mulin started to speak, of lots of things. Baths, new clothes, food, for some reasons even about table manners, whatever they could be. Soon Douxie’s attention faded away, although Archie was listening and commenting on everything the man was saying. They had stayed in that room called Camelot for ages. Where was Douxie supposed to find a place to sleep and something to eat if they didn’t move? And then, he wanted also to play. The forest of the day before was full of wonderful leaves.  
«Hisirdoux? Are you even listening to me?»

Douxie’s yawn stopped.

Mulin was staring right at him, raising his eyebrows. Archie too was watching him and Douxie felt the urge of running away. «I tired» he said. «I wanna go. Yesterday you say you got food and beds and I saw and tried them. Now have to go».

«Where?» Mulin’s voice was full of surprise. «Where do you have to go?»

Douxie said nothing. The man seemed almost exasperated. «Do you have to go to the bathroom maybe, Hisirdoux?» he asked.

Well, a little part of Douxie did, but that wasn’t quite the point. «Have to go away» he explained. «Archie and I travel, ‘cause people don’t like us. I want go away».

«Well, that’s settled». Archie jumped over the bed, and a moment later was flying to all Camelot room.

«Not at all» Mulin replied. He tried to put a hand on Douxie’s shoulder but stopped when Douxie flinched. «Hisirdoux» the man said with a soft voice, «I’ve just spent my last twenty minutes explaining to you the conditions of living here. I… I took for granted that we agreed about it. About living here with me» he added. «As an apprentice».

Douxie tilted the head on his left shoulder. «Why? I live with Archie». To be surer, he addressed the flying cat.

«I know, yes. But, don’t you want to become an apprentice? It could give you a safer place to be. Don’t you want a real house, with food for everyday and your own bed?»

«Mahownbed?» Douxie exclaimed, opening wide his eyes.

«Yes, child». Mulin’s voice was again tried and sad. «Your own one. This right here, if you want it».

«But why you give me?»

«Because it’s what normally children have. Haven’t you seen the other children, in the villages you visited? Also, in the trolls’ ones. The children are given by their families beds, food, clothes and whatever they need to grow up safely. I’ll try to give you the same things».

Douxie tried to think about it, but at the end he managed to only shake his head. He declined the hand Mulin was offering him. «But I got no family».

«It doesn’t matter. You deserve these types of things as every child».

Douxie said nothing. He probably seemed to be a little too insecure about all that situation, because at the same time Archie returned to protect him and Mulin took some distances.  
«You can decide whenever and whatever you want» the man added. «But I’m telling the truth. I don’t lie often- normally I simply omit things. As I thought I told you yesterday, I can give you a real home, as a family could. If you decide to become my apprentice, of course. You should think about it».

There was actually not so much time to spent about thinking.  
After that conversation, Mulin took Douxie and Archie outside the Camelot room: there was so much to see that Douxie simply could not focused on anything else.  
The man brought them into a big room, with shelves and strange things that he called “buks” and that Douxie had maybe seen once in his entire life. There were also windows everywhere, and so many things he believed his head was about to blow up.  
Then, Mulin insisted that Douxie and Archie took a bath.  
A real one, not in a river but in a wooden tub, full of scented bubbles.  
Douxie was not so sure about it, since Archie had refused to receive more than some brushing. But the tub seemed so inviting and the man was helping him in such a strange, gentle way that at the end he found himself sat in the tub. He spent ages playing with the bubbles and some sticks Mulin had given to him. While the man was sitting on some steps near the tub, his head on one of his buks, Douxie created an enormous sea battle with the sticks, a game so glorious he continued to play it even when the man finally pulled him out of the tub and dried him with a soft cloak.  
After recovering Archie, Douxie was sent by the man to play on a strange, morbid chair the man had in his round circulated room. Douxie was so busy he almost didn’t notice who entered the room until a stranger stopped just in front of him.

«Hi there, little one. Who are you?»

Douxie looked upwards, just to find a young woman watching him.  
She wasn’t too old, even if he had seen girls younger than her with already their own children. She didn’t seem a mother at all, and neither a farmer or a villager. She was dressed in a strange way, like she was almost a boy- short tunic, trousers leg… The only exception were some necklaces. And it seemed everything she dressed had to be green or yellow. Her face was strange too: it was a thin one, with big green eyes and an upward nose. Her hair wasn’t pulled back like the other women Douxie had met, but it was free in a red waterfall. Despite her strange appearance, she looked confident, like she was someone really important.

Almost immediately, Archie jumped just in front of Douxie, hissing.  
The lady raised her eyebrows. «Is this a familiar?»

«Yes, Morgana, it is». Mulin put away one of his buks and walked to the lady. «And this young boy is Hisirdoux Casperan».

«Well, a pleasure to meet you». The lady frowned towards Douxie, in a way that indicated anything but a pleasure. «I’m Lady Morgana Pendragon. It’s not use to address me in other ways, if not Lady Magician, please». She then returned to Mulin, with something that suggested a little scorn in her tone. «So, what my brother is raving around is true, old man? Have you… what his words were… oh, “betrayed the realm bringing a magician creature in Camelot?”»

There was a magician creature in Camelot room?  
Douxie turned to the room’s closed door, hoping to catch some noises.

«Do not speak about your king in that way, young lady!» Mulin admonished the girl.

«Or what? Are you going to tell him?»

«You know better I can deal with you by myself».  
  
There was a long silence after that affirmation.  
Douxie could feel the lady and the man's gaze on him, but the sticks’ battle was on a critical point.  
At the end, just when the lady was starting to walk away, Mulin sighed. «Come near the table. I need to talk to you».

«You're already talking to me» Mo’gana lady replied, but she followed anyway the man.

Archie relaxed a little and returned to sleep under Douxie's chair. His probably wasn't a great rest. Despite the distance, after a considerable short time, Mulin's and that Mo'gana's voice became to sound pretty loud.  
Douxie almost struggled to stay focused on his game. When arguing, adults were often dangerous.

«You can’t give him away! What do you want to do, give him to the servants?»

«How could I look after a child, Morgana? I have a realm that requires enough attention!»

«So, what, are you letting my brother have him? Maybe let our so great king kill him, like all the things he could not understand?»

«Well, if you find twice in a row the audacity of speaking like that, what should I presume? That you have a solution to offer? One that I have not considered?»

«I... I'll take him!»

«Oh, yes, of course». Finally, some silence. Douxie had just thought that when Mulin's laugh, a bitter and low one, broke the peace. «That would make your brother so pleasant. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’ll decide to have you execute».

«And you will do nothing in that situation, won't you? Like you did right after Gwen's death».

«What are you talking about? _I_ rescued you!»

«Only by the Stalkling, not by what happened next!»

«Your brother is the king! I must serve him!»

«And so he gets to be always right?»

«Yes, if this means the realm is safe!»

«Well, but the child won’t be».

Suddenly Archie got up. He cuddled against Douxie’s legs. Then flew away in a soft beating of wings, nearer to Mulin and Mo’gana lady.  
The sticks were getting a little bit too boring as a game and Douxie wondered if following Archie and the others would be fine. He didn’t know if sitting there was something Mulin expected to have given him the bed and the food. Now that he thought a bit more about it, Douxie was almost sure the day before and even that morning Mulin had spoken about some apprentice’s work. Maybe he really wanted to have Douxie? He wasn’t so sure.

«I don’t understand why your humans are talking about my familiar in this way». Archie had joined the others’ discussion, talking in that quick way he often used when he didn’t want Douxie to understand too much. «We have lived together since he was little and we don’t have any problems».

«Any problems? That child was starved to death and with more mud than skin on his body. A dragon-cat’s living is not a child’s one».

«And what do you even care, human wizard?»

«In this, the familiar has a point, Merlin. I could understand the worries for an orphan child from anyone, but you have never cared about this type of situation. You’re not sure about keeping him by yourself. Still, you rescued him from the knights and from the woods, when you could have left him to his own destiny». «You want my familiar’s magic, don’t you?»

«Maybe yes. But I’m not the only one».

«What do you mean?»

The voices became so low that they waned in whispers, similar to the sound the wind made between autumn’s last leaves.  
And then there was, sudden and only, silence.  
A great one, without voices, without clothes’ rustles. Neither a single breath.

That silence longed so much Douxie put away his sticks and stood up. He walked unsure, surpassing steps and the round table at the centre of the room.  
Archie, Mulin and the lady were nowhere to be seen.  
Maybe they had left because they didn’t like him?

Douxie felt like he was going to cry, but he stopped.

Just in front of him, there was a little green cloud, made of lightnings. It floated under his eyes.

Douxie had never seen things like that. He took two or three steps to it but the cloud imploded in a giant flashlight.

He fell on the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> helissa still here.  
> What can I say about this chapter? That was very interesting to write, althought a little bit challenging due to the difficult development of this story.  
> Please, notice that practically all of Douxie's thoughts and verbal expressions are elaborate in the point of view of a child. Therefore they could be not always correct or near the reality.  
> What else can we say? We find in this chapter many points that are going to be more depeened in the future, as for example the incapacity of Douxie towards food, his cat's attitude and the introduction or Morgana (she's living a sort of teenager rebellion phase, as you can grasp by her appearance). Her connection to Gwen is also particularly important, so pay attention to it!  
> Let me know if you like the chapter and see you soon (I hope)


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